Motorists in the Heuck’s Retreat area may have to take adifferent route into town next week while city street crews domuch-needed replacement and repair work on a dangerously degradedbox culvert.

City officials said the portion of road at the northeast end ofthe airport just before the turnoff to Lake Lincoln Road will beclosed from Tuesday to Friday.

“It is sinking and it’s dangerous,” said Mayor Bob Massengill.”We know it’s going to be a great inconvenience to some, but itmust be taken care of.”

Officials said possible detours include taking Nola Road intotown where it meets Highway 184, or Furr’s Mill Road over toCallendar Road, which also runs into town.

Director of Public Works Steve Moreton said part of the lengthof the repairs is dependent on the weather.

“We’ll be working overtime out there,” he said. “If everythinggoes right, weather permitting, we’ll be done Friday.”

The existing box culvert is beyond any short-term patching orrepair, Moreton said. He said it has been unsafe for many years,and following annexation, city officials resolved to get theproblem fixed.

“This bridge has been in bad shape for a while,” he said.

Moreton said the box has no bottom in it and it is evident asupport wall has collapsed inside the box.

“And people are still going over it,” Moreton said. “This thingis dangerous, and the city of Brookhaven is going address the issueand fix it.”

Massengill said one reason city officials waited was in order tohave less everyday traffic on the stretch of Heuck’s RetreatRoad.

“We were waiting for school to get out to do this,” Massengillsaid. “We also had to wait on another bridge to be fixed beforethis one, and we’ve had to hire a crane because of the sheer weightof the box culvert.”

Just the materials for the project cost the city over $11,000,Moreton said. Each concrete pipe joint that will be put in weighsover 16,000 pounds.

“So it’s beyond any capability we have to do this with our ownequipment,” he said. “We will unload the truck with the crane andthe last piece off the truck will be the first one we put in theground.”

In the meantime before the road is finished, it is stillimperative for motorists to consider safety when driving over thatstretch of road, not only because of the compromised structuralintegrity, but also because of the work crews.

“The motorists aren’t slowing down now, we’ve got men out therean they’re not slowing down. We’d really appreciate their completecooperation,” Moreton said.

City officials said they appreciate the public’s understandingas well, and that the project will be sped along as much aspossible in order to get people back on their normal drivingroutine.

“The city street department will be doing the best job we can asquick as we can,” Moreton said.